The Real Lucille!

Tailgate215

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May 16, 2024
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I'm at the point in my journey where I struggle with phrasing of improv for a blues tune. I have heard that approaching lead and licks as carrying on a conversation and I now realize why BBK named his guitar Lucille and why other blues artists also name their guitars. Having a conversation takes two people and by talking to his 'girlfriend' Lucille, he was able to create the emotion. From now on, before I attempt a blues tune, I will setup in advance what the conversation is about. Anger, sadness, apologizing, happy, serious..etc... I can ride these emotions, I just need a girlfriend to carry the conversation.

Any good names for your guitars?
 
I named my first PRS after my wife... then my next three after my girls ... then my three boys.. then the dog... you see the problem here?

As for "getting" the blues, the call and response doesn't have to be seen as a conversation with another person. For me it's a conversation between the singer and the guitar, or between two guitars, or between me and the song. As long as you find the emotion, it can come from anyplace that you value. The real secret is to feel the minor fifth (minor scale) or the minor third (major scale). When you can feel that note in your bones, you can play the blues with feeling.
 
I'm at the point in my journey where I struggle with phrasing of improv for a blues tune. I have heard that approaching lead and licks as carrying on a conversation and I now realize why BBK named his guitar Lucille and why other blues artists also name their guitars. Having a conversation takes two people and by talking to his 'girlfriend' Lucille, he was able to create the emotion. From now on, before I attempt a blues tune, I will setup in advance what the conversation is about. Anger, sadness, apologizing, happy, serious..etc... I can ride these emotions, I just need a girlfriend to carry the conversation.

Any good names for your guitars?
I’ve had Lady Gibson, Ms.Black, Pearl, Ms. Green, Kenny and Paulie.
 
I don't think I've ever named any of my guitars except for my Les Paul which is named after someone that always plays a Les Paul at church. My friends have named all other guitars
 
I have 7 all named except the last one
A name for it hasn't revealed itself yet

I have 2 that may be of interest
The first guitar I owned is named Jezebel
because she will break your heart if you let it

The second is named slime thing
A nick name given to a girl by a good friend of mine
Of course its Eriza Verde
 
Naming inanimate objects is illegal in my state.

I found out the hard way!

I did 5 years at hard labor for Attempted Naming after plea bargaining down from the initial charge of Aggravated Inanimate Object Naming.

The court made me serve the time working like a dog trying to complete my wife's ever-expanding honey-do list. I'd have been better off going to jail; I'd have gotten a lot more rest, plus three hots and a cot.

On the other hand, I did get better at playing the blues, so at least there's that.

I thought about becoming a paratrooper like Hendrix, because that's supposed to work, too; I guess you're so happy when the parachute opens that your mind is freed from all self-doubt and you play with more confidence.

But my wife would probably become my drill instructor, so I decided that wasn't a great plan.
 
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All of mine have names , My bell brass Dobro is Delta , My Special is Lil Queenie because she came from Louisiana ( Cajun Queen~ Chuck Berry) There's Seraphina, Bianca, Magnolia, Honey, Lil Red, Scarlett, Ruby Skylark, Owsley, Jade, Calypso, Rosie, Ricky Lee, Angie, Tigger, Keilani,Razzy Rose, Nina, .........
 
All of mine have names , My bell brass Dobro is Delta , My Special is Lil Queenie because she came from Louisiana ( Cajun Queen~ Chuck Berry) There's Seraphina, Bianca, Magnolia, Honey, Lil Red, Scarlett, Ruby Skylark, Owsley, Jade, Calypso, Rosie, Ricky Lee, Angie, Tigger, Keilani,Razzy Rose, Nina, .........
I figure if I remember the names of my wife, my kids, and my grandkids, I'm good. That's too many guitar names. I have limited RAM.
 
I have named a few of mine, but not all of them (probably half). I don't force it and if the name happens it happens, if it doesn't, no big deal. My PRSi are Hoorman Gitfiddle, Birtha Luna Bluvi and Wolfy MooNAMM! Each of those names has a story and if you are interested, details are in this thread. I have a EBMM Stingray Bass that I call Pele. It is a Lava Pearl finish and Pele is the Hawaiian Godess of Volcanos, so that is how she got her name. I sometimes call my strat "Americana" because it is the quintessential American guitar IMO. My Martin J-40 is called J-Fo, a mixture of J-Lo and J-40, it does have a big backside ;~)) My Marting D12-20, Steinberger XM2T and Eko Kadett do not have names and I have owned all of them for over 30 years. Also un-named are my Carlos acoustic and Kelii Uke.

As for the solo's and the conversation, I think it can be an extra element to give you playing a direction and have it feel like a conversation. It is an interesting concept and I never thought of it that way! Maybe I will write a song about that ;~)) I am pretty close to releasing a new album and there is a song ("Guitar Horse") on that album that is about each of my 3 PRSi (they each get their own verse)! That song however is not a back and forth, which is what I would do with this concept. Vocal line followed by response from guitar to that lines topic/emotion!
 
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